TITLE 16

Health and Safety

Local Boards of Health; Health Programs

CHAPTER 1. Department of Health and Social Services

Subchapter V. Child Welfare Services; Indigent Children With Physical Disabilities

§ 161. Powers and duties of Department.

The Department of Health and Social Services shall develop the child welfare activities conducted by the Child Welfare Commission before its abolition and maintain a traveling child health center to serve the sparsely settled sections of the State. The Department of Health and Social Services shall cooperate with state, county and local officials bodies in the development of such child welfare work as the Department of Health and Social Services may believe will materially advance the best interests of the children of the State. The Department of Health and Social Services shall make a study of the needs of children a definite part of its work and shall make recommendations for executive and legislative action in matters relating to children.

32 Del. Laws, c. 63, §  333 Del. Laws, c. 57, §  434 Del. Laws, c. 69, §  1;  Code 1935, §  813;  16 Del. C. 1953, §  161;  70 Del. Laws, c. 149, §  5870 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1

§ 162. Cooperation of departments and officers.

Every official department and public officer in the State, excepting the members of the General Assembly and the judiciary, in possession of information relating to the purposes of this subchapter shall, upon request of the Department of Health and Social Services, cooperate with it in carrying out the purposes of this subchapter.

32 Del. Laws, c. 63, §  433 Del. Laws, c. 57, §  434 Del. Laws, c. 69, §  1;  Code 1935, §  814;  16 Del. C. 1953, §  162;  70 Del. Laws, c. 149, §  5970 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1

§ 163. Employment of personnel and registered trained nurse.

(a) The Department of Health and Social Services may employ such agents, assistants, clerical force and specially qualified persons as it finds necessary or expedient for carrying out the purposes of this subchapter.

(b) The Department of Health and Social Services may employ a registered trained nurse to educate and supervise the midwives of the State. Such nurse shall devote the entire time, under the general direction of the Department of Health and Social Services, to an investigation of the methods employed by the midwives, to instructing the midwives so that they will not be a menace to the life and health of either mother or infant, to an investigation of deaths following midwife cases, to an investigation of all violations of the laws by midwives and to an investigation of the reports of births throughout the State.

32 Del. Laws, c. 43, §  132 Del. Laws, c. 63, §  633 Del. Laws, c. 57, §  434 Del. Laws, c. 69, §  1;  Code 1935, §  816;  16 Del. C. 1953, §  163;  70 Del. Laws, c. 149, §§  60, 6170 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1

§ 164. Federal aid; authority to expend appropriation.

If any bill shall be enacted by the United States appropriating moneys to assist the states in protecting the health of mothers and children, and if the Department of Health and Social Services is doing such work at the time the federal aid becomes available, the Department of Health and Social Services shall designate and authorize to be spent such portion of its appropriation as may be necessary to meet the offer of the federal government, if the Department of Health and Social Services shall be recognized by the federal body administering the act as the state body with which it will cooperate. Only such an amount of the Department of Health and Social Services’ appropriation may be designated and spent for the purposes described in this section as will leave at least $15,000 annually for the execution of the duties of the Department of Health and Social Services under this subchapter, other than those which conform with such a federal act which may be enacted.

32 Del. Laws, c. 63, §  533 Del. Laws, c. 57, §  434 Del. Laws, c. 69, §  1;  Code 1935, §  815;  16 Del. C. 1953, §  164;  70 Del. Laws, c. 149, §§  62, 6370 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1

§ 165. Indigent children with physical disabilities program.

The Department of Health and Social Services is designated as the agency for and on behalf of this State to administer a program of services for indigent children with physical disabilities or who are suffering from conditions which lead to physical disabilities, and to supervise the administration of such services included in the program not administered directly by it. The purpose of such program shall be to develop, extend and improve services for locating such children and for providing for medical, surgical, corrective and for such other services and care, and for facilities for diagnosis, hospitalization and after-care.

Code 1935, §  819A;  41 Del. Laws, c. 85, §  1;  16 Del. C. 1953, §  165;  70 Del. Laws, c. 149, §  6470 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  178 Del. Laws, c. 179, §§  147-149

§ 166. Indigent children with physical disabilities program — Powers and duties of Secretary.

In carrying out § 165 of this title the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee may:

(1) Formulate and administer a detailed plan or plans for the purposes specified in § 165 of this title, and make such rules and regulations as may be necessary or desirable for the administration of such plans and this subchapter. Any such plan shall make provision for:

a. Financial participation by the State subject to § 164 of this title;

b. Administration of the plan by the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee may, and supervision by the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee of the administration of those services included in the state program which are not administered directly by it;

c. Maintenance of records and preparation of reports of services rendered;

d. Cooperation with medical, health, nursing and welfare groups and organizations and with any agency of the State charged with the administration of laws providing for vocational rehabilitation of children with physical disabilities;

e. Carrying out the purposes specified in § 165 of this title.

(2) Receive and expend in accordance with such plans all funds made available to the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee by the federal government, the State or its political subdivisions, or from other sources, for such purposes.

(3) Cooperate with the federal government, through its appropriate agency, or instrumentality, in developing, extending and improving such services, and in the administration of such plans.

(4) Cooperate with any individual or organization which may have been or shall be formed in the State for the purpose of improving services for children with physical disabilities.

(5) Expend such portions of its funds as may be necessary for carrying out the state plan in such a way as to meet the matching requirements of the federal government or any organization which may have been or shall be formed for the purpose of improving services for children with physical disabilities of the State.

Code 1935, §  819A;  41 Del. Laws, c. 85, §  1;  16 Del. C. 1953, §  166;  70 Del. Laws, c. 149, §  6570 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  178 Del. Laws, c. 179, §§  150-152

§ 167. Indigent children with physical disabilities program — Duties of State Treasurer upon receipt of federal funds.

In the event of the receipt of funds from the federal government or from other sources for the purposes of § 165 or 166 of this title the State Treasurer shall:

(1) Receive such funds;

(2) Act as custodian of such funds;

(3) Keep them in a special account to be known as the “Fund for Children With Physical Disabilities;” and

(4) Disburse these funds upon orders signed by the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee.

Code 1935, §  819A;  41 Del. Laws, c. 85, §  1;  16 Del. C. 1953, §  167;  70 Del. Laws, c. 149, §  6670 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  178 Del. Laws, c. 179, §§  153, 154